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As I moved into my tiny dorm room on the first day of my freshman year of college, I felt panic come over me.
I was admitted to a prestigious southern university by the skin of my teeth, and I felt unprepared and overwhelmed.
It was a hot August day in North Carolina, and the temperature and humidity were stifling.
Our old, rundown dorm, where I’m convinced they placed students who had just gotten in by the skin of their teeth, had no air conditioning and the largest cockroaches I had ever seen.
By the end of the first week, my mood had not improved.
I walked outside to escape the unbearable dorm room, and a large tree caught my eye.
She had leathery green leaves, a tall, straight trunk, and branches evenly spaced and horizontal.
I got three-quarters up, found a comfortable perch, and looked around.
I could see the entire quad of lovely Georgian dorms and the expansive lawn between them. I watched the students walking, playing frisbee, and laughing together.
In that perch on that day and many days after, I felt held and wrapped in the safety of what I learned was a Southern magnolia.
And as I looked down at the goings below me, my perspective broadened, and I began to relax.
From this vantage point, college life didn’t look so bad.
I studied, ate, and prayed there for the better part of my freshman year.
I even invited friends up for social time.
She became my home away from home.
She comforted me, reassured me, and guided me.
And eventually, yes, I came down and learned to cherish the opportunities afforded me for those four years.
Perhaps you remember a tree that has been important to you as well. Maybe you had a favorite childhood climbing tree. You might have a lovely dogwood or redbud that brings you delight.
In our upcoming Spiritual Wisdom of Trees class at Montreat October 10-13, Leah Rampy and I will explore the ancient wisdom that these wondrous elders hold for us if we take the time to notice them, see them, and learn from them.
We will explore how to open ourselves to the Spirit that enlivens all life within our sacred ecosystems.
All six-course sessions begin with a short teaching on a theme. Next, you’ll get a specific spiritual practice designed especially to open you to the wisdom trees offer on that theme. The trees will be the true teachers and guides here.
Perhaps you’re feeling stressed, anxious, unmoored, and yearning for a deeper connection within yourself, other humans, and Earth.
Maybe you long to escape the phone and the computer and breathe in the oxygen that our tree kin provide.
Suppose you feel a stirring you can’t quite put your finger on, deep and meaningful and worthy of further exploration.
Or maybe you just need a break from responsibility, routine, and life to listen for the Spirit’s call.
Whatever your reason for joining us, we hope you do. The trees are waiting for you. Click HERE to register!
Beth Norcross is the Spiritual Wisdom of Trees Facilitator and founder of the Center for Spirituality in Nature.
